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ISIS Video Shows Mass Executions In Syria’s Ruins Of Palmyra

BEIRUT (AFP) – The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group on Saturday released a video showing 25 Syrian government soldiers being executed by teenagers in the ancient amphitheatre in the city of Palmyra.

The video documented an execution that reportedly happened shortly after the militant group captured the city on May 21.

It shows the soldiers in green and brown military uniforms being shot dead on the amphitheatre’s stage in front of an enormous version of the group’s black and white flag.

The executioners all appear to be children or teenagers and are wearing desert camouflage and brown bandanas.

The killings are carried out in front of a relatively sparse crowd of men and some children watching from the ancient theatre’s seats.

ISIS reportedly carried out more than 200 executions, including of civilians, in and around Palmyra in the period when it captured the city.

The executions in the Palmyra amphitheatre were first reported on May 27 by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, less than a week after ISIS captured the city.

At the time, Syria’s antiquities director Mamoun Abdelkarim said he feared the killings could signal the start of “the group’s barbarism and savagery against the ancient monuments of Palmyra”.

“Using the Roman theatre to execute people proves that these people are against humanity,” he told AFP.

The Greco-Roman ruins at Palmyra are listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the city’s capture by ISIS prompted international concerns for the fate of its spectacular ancient treasures.

So far, ISIS is not reported to have damaged the actual ruins, although it has blown up and desecrated Muslim graves in the city and destroyed a statue outside the Palmyra Museum.

ISIS has regularly released videos of its mass executions, with slick production and gruesome violence that experts say is a key propaganda tool for the group.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 5, 2015
Red Lions Land Safely After Parachute Snag

A Red Lions skydiver was involved in a midair drama yesterday when he had to cut off his parachute while descending to the Padang during the rehearsal for the National Day Parade.

The jumper, who has not been named, was the first of five.

He managed to deploy his back-up parachute before landing safely on the parade grounds to cheers from the invited crowd.

Some onlookers managed to photograph the detached parachute falling through the air. There were moments of fear that the freefaller was in danger.

The NDP executive committee insisted that yesterday’s 10-minute long freefall display “was executed as planned”.

TENSE MOMENT

At deployment height, one of the jumpers’ first parachute went into a twist, a common occurrence while parachuting.

SPOKESMAN, NDP executive committee

“At deployment height, one of the jumpers’ first parachute went into a twist, a common occurrence while parachuting,” a spokesman said. “The jumper assessed that he could not clear the twist in time, and cut away the first parachute to deploy his reserve parachute, landing safely within the designated area in the Padang.

“There were no injuries sustained,” the spokesman added.

Aviation enthusiast Ow Eng Tiong, 41, who regularly attends the Red Lions display which is held annually, witnessed the incident from a nearby street.

“I could see that his parachute had not opened completely,” he told The Sunday Times.

“I saw him spiralling down like a corkscrew and falling faster than usual. I knew that something was wrong. But I presume he is fine since the second parachute worked,” he added.

The last known parachute accident at the parade was in 2005, when a Red Lion fractured his pelvis as a result of a bad landing at a rehearsal. The Red Lions display, a perennial crowd favourite, takes place before the ceremonial military parade.

This year, the military parade will feature more than 2,000 people in 37 contingents, among them representatives of 16 public- and private-sector bodies.

Colonel Simon Lee, who oversees the parade and ceremony segment, said 42 companies and organisations had applied to march on Aug 9.

Col Lee said: “There is only so much we can pack in. We want a good mix to show the various facets of total defence… we select those that best represent the Singapore identity.”

Among the marchers will be Sembcorp Design and Construction managing director and former People’s Association chief, Mr Yam Ah Mee, 58.

The former air force brigadier- general, who will lead the Sembcorp contingent, said: “The chance to march in a Jubilee parade does not come by often. I can also catch up with old friends and bond with all the youth.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 5, 2015
Youth Radicalisation: Where Does It Stem From?

Youth radicalisation. The subject is once against in the news, especially after the arrest of two Singaporean teenagers.

It is worrying, to say the least. And what’s more distressing are the comments that accompany some of these reports. As a young Muslim, it is unsettling to read comments that condemned the religion as a whole. Even though they were few and far between, there were comments that hinted at Islamic education being one of the catalysts for the radicalisation of youths.

As someone who has spent most of her formative years studying at an Islamic Institute in Pakistan, this hit a nerve.
Let me elaborate. I gained admission to an Islamic Institute when I was just thirteen. I left for Pakistan after a year as a secondary school student in Singapore. The main reason why I decided to pursue my education in that particular institute was because I wanted to learn more about my culture and embrace a sense of spirituality. And this was with my parents’ blessing and support.

The next four years were a whirlwind of adventure.

Everything seemed so new and unique compared to what I was accustomed to in urban Singapore. The sights, sounds and smells were a positive assault on my senses. Well, mostly positive. (I found out quite quickly that I couldn’t get my fix of fast food as often as I would have liked.)
Adapting to a totally different culture and environment was definitely challenging but I was relieved to discover that one aspect of life remained the same. Here I mean the people and their company.

I had a preconceived notion that the biggest difficulty for me would be making friends with my classmates, as they would come from different walks of life. What a misconception that turned out to be. We mostly got along like a house on fire. The fact that we came from various backgrounds and cultures did not make a difference at all.

Throughout the four years that I spent there, I forged many friendships that last till this day. My friends have all moved on after graduating and some of them have even started families of their own. I guess the point I am trying to make here is that from my experience, studying at an Islamic institution or having an Islamic education does not automatically or invariably lead to radicalisation.

However, it would be an act of denial to say that youth radicalisation is not becoming a pressing issue. The recent case of two Singaporean youths who were radicalised by ISIS and arrested, with one detained for planning terrorist attacks and only recently released, proves that this is indeed a case for national security concern. The primary question on people’s minds is this: How do young people get radicalised?

The first avenue is through the Internet. Youths are increasingly exposed to various forms of online platforms such as social media, blogs, forums, YouTube videos and websites in general. Terrorist groups reach out to impressionable minds by seducing them into believing that their brand of ideology is right, and violence for the cause is therefore justified. Moreover, cyberspace also exposes young people to like-minded communities, as was the case with one of the teenagers who was arrested. Also, the promise of salvation may strike a chord with certain youths who are not familiar with the actual teachings of Islam.

So how do we combat youth radicalisation?

The Ministry of Home Affairs has articulated the following: “Religious institutions and teachers have an important role to play in engaging young Singaporeans when they have questions on religious matters, and steering them in the right direction.”

I agree with this wholeheartedly as young people should be taught to tell the difference between the actual teachings of Islam and the false promises that terrorist groups make.

Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), formed in April 2013, is an example of such a group whose primary aim is “countering the ideological misunderstanding of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members through counselling.

Their centre has five zones. Each zone elaborates on a different point like how extremists have distorted the meaning of Islam to advocate violence and the ways the RRG counters that. It also talks about how Singapore has been affected and the importance of promoting a vigilant society and expressing our commitment to peace.

Support and supervision from family and close friends make a huge difference as well in protecting these youths from the dangers of radicalisation.

Finally, I would like to say that when harrowing issues such as youth radicalisation are brought to the fore, the first course of action should be to protect the youths from further entrapment and provide them with all the assistance they need to free themselves from the web of radicalisation — instead of making assumptions about the religion itself.

Source: http://inconvenientquestions.sg

July 5, 2015
7 Things Your Muslim Husband Won’t Tell You
What’s Going Through Your Muslim Husband’s Mind?

Ever wish you could read your husband’s mind? Western culture encourages husbands and wives to talk to each other and discuss things.

However, in many Muslim cultures, men are raised to be stoic and tight-lipped. Muslim husbands are very often (not always) reluctant to talk about certain things with their wives.

Part of the problem is also that sometimes it is hard to actually formulate our thoughts into the right words.

The only thing more difficult than translating thoughts to words is translatingfeelings to words.

So, a lot of Muslim men and women go through their marriages with very little communication and never really knowing what the other person is thinking.

This quick list is for the Muslim sisters in my audience. This list will give you good idea of some of the things your husband thinks about, but just doesn’t know how, or want, to tell you.

1. Above All, He Desires Your Respect

I spoke about this in my article “Love or Respect: Which Do You Prefer?”.

In this article, I explained that women want to know their husbands love them, and men want to know their wives respect them.

It’s important that Muslim women understand the value of respect for men, especially Muslim men. In Islam, men are taught from a young age that they are supposed to be the bread-winners and caretakers of their families.

You can imagine how frustrating it would be for a man, who tries his best to care for his family, to be married to a woman who doesn’t respect him. She may declare that she loves him, but without her respect, he will quickly fall out of love with her.

This idea is put forward in the Quran where Allah says:

Men are in charge of women by what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard.

Chapter 4, Verse 34

If you fear there is a problem in your marriage sisters, I would suggest you start here.

2. He Desires Your Loyalty

This goes hand in hand with respect.

There’s nothing that will ruin a marriage quicker than the idea that your spouse is not loyal. The idea, that he or she is not going to stick by you.

I’m not talking about infidelity. This is what usually comes to mind when people talk about loyalty in a marriage.

What I’m talking about is knowing that the person whom you’ve chosen to spend the rest of your life with is going to be there for you when you really need them.

Most men won’t admit it, but we do need women. And we do need your support.

And it’s very troubling to be married to a woman who may not be around when the going gets tough.

If you are constantly threatening divorce or separation or Khula (Islamic divorce initiated by the wife), you can expect your marriage to fizzle out very quickly.

Your husband needs to know that you’re going to be by his side if:
- He loses his job and the money gets tight.
- He tries to do something (like start a business or go back to school) but fails at it.
- His reputation is tarnished or his honor is attacked.
You should be loyal to your husband before everything else except Allah and His Messenger (pbuh).

If you’re loyal to your husband, than rest assured he’ll be loyal to you.

3. He Wants To Have Sex More Often

Let’s get this right out into the open.

Some women might think men are narrow-minded brutes for this, but it’s the truth.

Men desire sex. Men really desire sex.

So when you give him the following excuses:
- “I’ve got a headache.”
- “I’m not feeling good.”
- “Can’t it wait till the weekend? I’m really not in the mood.”
Know that your husband is going to go to sleep a little upset with you, even if he doesn’t show it.

And do this often enough, he’s going to start resenting you. And that resentment will build up and may lead to him being unnecessarily mean to you or losing some love.

Please keep the following hadith in mind:

When a man calls his wife to his bed, and she does not respond and he (the husband) spends the night angry with her, the angels curse her until morning.

Bukhari and Muslim.

Something to think about.

4. He Thinks About Other Women

Okay, first of all, calm down. Don’t unsubscribe from my mailing list just yet. Let me explain this.

All men think about other women.

It doesn’t mean he’s going to cheat on you.

It doesn’t mean he’s thinking about taking a second wife.

It doesn’t mean he’s fantasizing about another woman.

It just means that all (straight) men do, at some point in their lives, consider having another woman (i.e. wife).

You’re better off coming to terms with this and accepting it than having false, purile notions about men.

The best way to combat these thoughts are to apply the advice given in the first three secrets:
- Respect him.
- Be loyal to him.
- Give him physical love when he wants it.
Does this mean he’ll never take a second wife if you do these three things? Of course not.

But it will raise your value in his mind relative to other woman and he’ll be all the more reluctant to look for those three things (respect, loyalty, and sex) elsewhere.

5. He Wants To Make You Happy

Why do you think men work so hard to make money?

Why do you think men are willing to leave their jobs and risk starting a business?

Why do you think men like buying women gifts?

Because deep down, we really just want to make you happy.

Sometimes we screw it up and forget our anniversary. But we really would prefer to remember because we know it would make you happy.

So when your husband buys you a gift, accept it, rejoice over it, thank him profusely, and use it as often as possible.

If he buys you some jewelry, wear it.

If he buys you a new smartphone, use it.

If he buys you a car, drive it.

And don’t be so quick to nag him about the things he doesn’t do right. Because then he’ll start feeling that you don’t respect (there’s that word again) the things he does do for you.

6. If You Nudge Him, He Can Be A Better Muslim

Nobody’s perfect.

Perhaps your husband isn’t a Muslim scholar. Perhaps he’s not the best Muslim in the world.

You can nudge him to make him better. But you can’t force him.

Do little things to get him to improve his Islam.
- Offer to wake him up for Salaatul Fajr.
- Encourage him to make Salaah at the Masjid.
- Tell him how much nicer he’d look if he grew his beard.
This takes deliberate words, a soft touch, and careful action. No one likes to be preached to.

But if you do this right, you’ll be getting a double reward:

The reward that comes with living with a righteous husband. And the reward in the next life for encouraging your husband to the truth.

Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

Chapter 103, Verse 3

7. He Loves You, Even If He Doesn’t Always Show It

I know, this one may be kinda hard to swallow. But it’s true (usually).

Men are just not that good at showing emotion (unless we’re talking sports or politics).

We don’t tell our wives “I love you” often enough.

We’re not perfect. And constantly comparing us to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ain’t helping.

Of course, we are supposed to emulate him (pbuh) as much as we can. And for most of us, we are doing the best we can.

But we just can’t treat you the same way he (pbuh) treated his wives. Similarly, it’s unfair for men to expect their wives to behave like Aisha (RA) and his other wives (RA) did.

Just because your husband doesn’t treat you in the way (you think) the Prophet (pbuh) treated his wives, doesn’t mean your husband doesn’t love you.

It just means he’s human.

It is very important that you understand this.
- If he’s doing his best to take care of you.
- If he doesn’t abuse you or sleep around.
- If he sincerely tries to solve your problems and helps you in the best way he can.
Then chances are he loves you. A lot.

Now move from in front of the television and go make me a sandwich.

JUST KIDDING!

Source: https://islamicreflections1.wordpress.com
July 5, 2015
44 Year Old MOE-Trained Teacher Terminated By Employer Without Assistance From TAFEP/MOM

Dear Gilbert

I am grateful to Richard for providing the linkage. I went to your website – was very touched by the people you helped.

I am 44, a trained former MOE teacher. I have since taught in X and a few other private schools.

I have stayed in a private school, ABC International teaching mainly PRC students for about four years.

Later I moved on to XYZ School thinking it was much the same since it is also a private school.

There, I faced lots of problems with the HOD of English who felt threatened by the fact that I was also NIE-trained and experienced like herself.

Many of the older staff were untrained or foreign-trained.

Since then she has made life very difficult for me and has criticized me unfairly.

Things came to a head when they ‘terminated’ my two-year contract in February this year and I was served with a three-month notice.

I attempted to seek redress with TAFEP and MOM but they told me that employers generally had a right to terminate when they see fit.

I accepted my ‘fate’ and ventured out by applying to lots of many other different positions.

I was sending in at least 20 applications via Jobstreet, JobsDB, Indeed.com, Jobsbank.

I am fortunate to be offered a full-time position at an enrichment centre teaching creative writing and I also fill in the other hours during the day with relief teaching as well as teaching classes at night.

I know that I should be grateful and I am.

However I would like to seek a full-time position that offers me regular hours as this enrichment centre requires me to work full day on Sat and Sun and that’s eating up my family time as I have two young kids.

I am attaching my resume for your kind perusal.

I am an active job seeker and I would always use the internet to search actively. I understand that it is a numbers’ game out there for job seekers.

A few days’ back my husband was also served with a one-month notice at his workplace.

I am also helping him to apply for different jobs. He is in Logistics/Supply Chain and Shipping. I attach his resume as well.

I am so grateful for your kind assistance in this matter.

Sincerely

Jennifer

Editor’s note: we will keep a look out for suitable jobs for the writer.

Source: www.transitioning.org

July 5, 2015